H M mong mong
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Spring/Summer 2002 HSIC Publication Volume I Issue 2
From the Editor
Editor-in-Chief: Alex Vang, UC San Diego Assistant Editors: Mary Xiong, St Mary’s College Catherine Yang, UC Riverside Layout: Julien Moua, UC Davis Alumn Cover: Sherry Thao, CSU Sacramento Publication Committee: Shelly Cha, CSU Fresno Nhia Vue, UC San Diego Sue Yang, University Of Pacific Contributing Writers: Nancy Cha Yang Lee Chris T. Vang, Ed. D Vicky Vang Youa Vang Amy Yan La Thai Yang Linda Yang Mao Yang Nkauj Iab Yang
HSIC Officers 2001-02 President Julien Moua, UC Davis Alumn nuj_soob@hotmail.com Vice President Long Her, CSU Fresno loojhawj@yahoo.com Secretary Amorette Yang, UC Berkeley amorette@uclink.berkeley.edu Treasurer Malisa Lee, UC Santa Barbara malisalee@hotmail.com
HM: Hmong Movement is published quarterly by the Hmong Students InterCollegiate Coalition. (c) Copyright 2002. All rights reserved. No contents may be reproduced without expressed written permission from the Editor. Unsolicited material will not be returned. Letters sent to HM: Hmong Movement become the property of the publication. Every precaution will be taken to ensure the accuracy of information included at press time, neither the Publisher or Editor shall be liable for damages arising out of errors or omissions. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of HM: Hmong Movement or HSIC. 2
Welcome to our second issue. The editorial staff received tremendous positive feedback of the premiere Winter Issue. We are inspired to continue this forum to serve as a resource for Hmong American youth to communicate their unique experiences. In this issue you will find the articles displaying and recognizing the talents and creativity of the students. We thank you for your support and hope that new readers will continue to contribute submissions. Over the past months much has occurred. I went to Washington DC, as an intern for Hmong National Development to coordinate the Hmong National Youth Leadership Summit. The preconference was held at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee on April 13, 2002. The 7th Hmong National Conference “Meeting the Challenges: The Complexity of the Hmong Identity,” was held in Milwaukee from April 14-16. It was great to see all the HSIC representatives and members in Wisconsin and as well as meeting new people at the conference. Devoting the past year to serve as an advisory member and as part of the planning commitee for the conference was very rewarding. I hope to see all of you again at the national conference next year in Washington DC. One of the highlights of my internship was attending the Congressional Proclamation Ceremony celebrating the passage of House Con. Resolution 88, or Lao-Hmong Recognition Day in Washington DC. I was very privilege to have this opportunity to witness a very important event. It was also remarkable to meet all the representatives throughout the various Hmong American communities in numerous states, who attended this historic event with Congressional members and government officials. After two and a half decades in the United States, this is one of many indications illustrating the Hmong are no longer refugees but emerging new Americans actively engaged and contributing to America. Summer marks a time of celebration for many Hmong graduating from high school and college. Education is an opportunity that would have never been possible for many in our former country. For those who are graduating high school. I really want to emphasis attending college, and for those who are graduating college, I want to stress continuing on to the next level. Education is the key that will unlock many more doors of opportunites. For myself, graduation was just the first step in a journey, I am very excited to be accepted into the Ph. D program of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, San Diego. I will begin my teaching assistantship this fall as well. I like to take this opportunity to thank all the great professors and mentors at CSU Stanislaus, who helped and motivated me to pursuing graduate studies. I am very fortunate to study with a Hmong American professor, whose tutorials provided unparalled support. And of course, I would not have been able to reach this level without inspiration from all the members of HSIC. The past two years of creating this organization and working on projects such as this, has truly changed the lives of many, you guys are the best and I know we will all continue working to better the community. In closing I hope you will appreciate reading this issue as much as the staff enjoyed working on it. Don’t hesitate to let the editorial staff know what you think. Until we meet again,
Alex Vang
Hmong Movement
Spring/Summer 2002
Letter from the President
Contents
Greetings and welcome to this edition of Hmong Movement, I hope you enjoy reading this issue. Well it’s summertime again and this means that it’s time for HSIC statewide meetings. Wohoo!!! I hope to see many of you, and many new faces on July 20th, 2002 at the meeting at Fresno State.
Headlines
Year Zero is almost over, and it’s been a year to remember. HSIC was created to band college students together to work as one, in order for us to support each other as college students, but also to help our community grow and this past year we have begun to lay out the blueprints to do so.We have received our first grant from the Civic Action Network (made possible by the Central Valley Partnership and the James Irvine Foundation) to help us with our FIRST EVENT, HSIC’s Leadership Retreat. The grant will also help HSIC establish its non profit status, and help fund Hmong Movement for a couple more issues, so I hope you guys are donating to keep this great publication going. The State has recognized HSIC as an incorporation which means that we are a few steps closer from receiving our non-profit status. And most importantly of all we have created a statewide network among the Hmong College Students in California. By forming HSIC, each Hmong student organization has either directly and indirectly changed. The network that has been laid out has made it possible for every organization to colloborate on projects together. This past year, I have seen several colleges working together for the very first time like at the Sac State Halloween Carnival, or the UC Davis High School Conference. We broken down the walls that had separated us in the past. And this is only the beginning, in the next few years, I know that every organization will collaborate more and create partnerships that will last for years. Also I see these collaborations expanding across regions and possibly statewide as well for events such as Inter-Collegiate Conferences. Personally, it’s been a great journey for myself since that faithful email back in December 2001 from Miss Julie Yang, I have really enjoyed working with many of you in the past year and a half. I have had many fond memories such as the First Intercollegiate Conference where we first establish the idea that we were going to create this coalition. I also recall the fun I had watching many of you dancing and lip singing at first Summer Meeting! And who could forget sleeping at Stone Soup where I was so sick, I threw up all over the place! Our September meeting when we all scrambled down to Irvine (thanks again to Alicia and Judy for giving us a place to stay) and voted in the first officers and signed the constitution. All these memories and many more I will keep with me for the rest of my life. It has been an honor for me to become the first president of our Hmong Student Inter-Collegiate Coalition, a.k.a. HSIC (“Shiek”). Again I want to thank my three officers (LONG, AMORETTE, MALISA), you have been an awesome team to work with, and I am honored to have worked with the three of you...I will miss our double 3-way calling three hour long meetings on the phone...To the board of directors, our first meeting was amazing, as I looked across the room I was really honored to have such a good team, I felt that we had great chemistry together, those nine hours really brought us closer! Most importantly, to the schools organizations and their members, you are the heart and soul HSIC, you are the reason HSIC exists... Now that my term is over, I am going to take a step back, and focus more on my life! HSIC has been a huge part of my life and I have enjoy every moment of it…from the highs to the lows…I still wonder what I will do? I have learn so much, and made great friends along the way. I will continue to watch HSIC, and see it grow. I really hope that those long terms goals that we have stashed at Amorette’s place will one day come true…To all the orgs and execs, I wish you luck in coming years, I know that you will succeed in helping HSIC grow stronger and better! Best wishes to all of HSIC, and may it live forever... Signing off as Your President,
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HSIC Updates and News
Feature Articles: Tsis Muaj Dej Lub Nkoj Tsis Ntab:Kev Xav los ntawm 5 Redressing a Problem: College Students in Need 6
Perspectives: Changing Through Time: Being Gay in Our Community
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This is My Life
8
Japanese Taiko
9
Living it for ME!
9
The Hmong in ME
10
What is the Hmong World LIke? A Culture SHow Experience 11 Paj Huam: Lus Zoo Siab Hauv Xyoo Tshiab 12
Youth Spotlight: Pa Moua
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Organization Spotlight: Hmong Student Union at UC Davis 13
Creative Corner: Sherry’s Art Gallery Julien Nou-Chong Moua HSIC President 2001-02 Year Zero
Readers’ Corner Letters to HM
Winter 2002
Hmong Movement
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Headlines HSIC Updates & News Alex Vang Regional Representative Elections -The Regional Representatives elections were held at each of the respective regions of HSIC: Northern, Central, and Southern in the past months. In order to run for a Regional Representative position, a candidate must be an HSIC member o rg a n i z a t i o n a l representative. Each region held elections to elect three Regional Representatives per region for a total of nine on a state level. In order to vote, member organizations must have voting rights by attending a previous HSIC regional meeting. CSU Fresno- December 2, 2001, HSIC Central Region held a regional meeting to elected three Regional Representatives. The Representatives elected at the meeting are Alex Vang, CSU Stanislaus HSA Rep., Shawn Her, CSU Fresno HmSA Rep., and Soua Her, University of Pacific HSA Rep. UC Riverside- January 12, 2002, HSIC Southern Region held a regional meeting to elect three Regional Representatives. The Representatives elected are Julie Yang, UC Santa Barbara HSU Rep., True Xiong, HmSASD Rep., and Xia Lee, UCLA AHS Rep. UC Berkeley- February 10, 2002, HSIC Northern Region held a regional meeting to elected three Regional Representatives. The Representatives elected are Golee Lor, CSU Chico HSA Rep., Mary Xiong, St Mary’s College Rep., and Sonny Yang, UC Berkeley LASR Rep. -The nine Regional Representatives together with the four Executive Officers elected in September 22 at UC Irvine composed the 13 members of the HSIC Board of Directors. HSIC Statewide Meeting The fifth HSIC statewide meeting was held January 19 and 20 at CSU Fresno. The twoday meeting included numerous discussions and activities. Some highlights of the 4
weekend festivities included a thorough review of the HSIC constitution, intense discussions regarding amendments and voting rights, previewing of the publication, and resolving the HSIC presidential issue. However, the meeting was also a retreat in many aspects including many activities such as ice breakers, a barbeque, and a knowledge bowl competition among the participants. HSIC at the Hmong National Conference This year several HSIC representatives and members attended and participated in organizing committees and workshops at the Hmong National Youth Leadership Summit and the 7 th Annual Hmong National Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. HSIC members, Alex Vang from CSU Stanislaus and Amorette Yang from UC Berkeley have actively served on the HND Youth Summit Planning Committee in organizing the Hmong National Youth Leadership Summit. -The summit was held at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. HSIC fully supports HND’s effort to promote youth leadership and activism in the Hmong American community. The summit illustrates HND’s commitment to providing speakers and workshops that address the relevant issues to Hmong youth and college students. The summit planning committee was composed of student representatives from universities throughout the country. This year the five committee members were Alex Vang, CSU Stanislaus, Amorette Yang, UC Berkeley, Sendra Yang, University of North Carolina Chapel Hills, Mikow Hang, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and Nou Vang, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.The purpose of the summit was to bring together Hmong students from across the country to network and share concerns on issues affecting Hmong students, as well as to learn new leadership and activism skills. The objective was to collectively identify issues Hmong Movement
faced by all Hmong students and provide an opportunity for students to network and learn about how to make the most impact. The daylong summit was a preconference to the Hmong National Conference. The format for the preconference was designed to be very interactive and participants were to fully engage in group discussions and presentations. One of the workshops at the Youth Summit was be Models of Hmong Student Organization Leadership Structures. This workshop discussed the development of HSIC as a statewide network, structure of the organization members, representatives, officers, and upcoming projects. Members of the Youth Summit Planning Committee also presented a workshop entitled Hmong College Students and Activism at the Hmong National Conference. The presentation was a summary of issues that students discussed at the Youth Summit. Moreover, numerous HSIC organizations sent members to attend the Hmong National Youth Leadership Summit and Hmong National Conference. CSU Stanislaus Hmong Students Association awarded two scholarships to send two members to represent HSA. The HSU of UC Davis sent nine members. The Association of Hmong Students of UCLA also sent several members to attend. There were also several participants from HSIC member organizations, University of Pacific HSA and CSU Sacramento Hmong University Student Association. Ta m e j a v i Festival -HSIC members hosted an informational table at the Tamejavi Festival at the Tower District in Fresno on April 27, 2002. The cultural exchange festival was a free-event to the community where organizations of the Central Valley Partnership and the more than 50 Civic Action Network grant recipients gathered to network and learn from each other. Upcoming Events: HSIC will be holding Executive Officers elections for the 2002-03 year on July 20th, 2002.
Spring/Summer 2002
Feature Articles Tsis Muaj Dej Lub Nkoj Tsis Ntab Kev Xav los ntawm
Christopher Thao Vang, Ed. D. Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at CSU Stanislaus
Lus quab qhia peb sawv daws kom peb uas lub neej sib hlub thiab sib pab txawm hais tias peb muaj lub neej zoo, lub neej txom nyem, lub neej muaj koob ntos npe, los yog lub neej muaj txaus noj txaus haus xwb. Tsis hais tus hloj, tus yaus, tus siab, tus qis, tus ruam, tus ntse, log yog tus poj niam tus txiv neej, peb yuav sib vam khom thaum peb sawv daws tseem muaj txoj sias nyob. Ib leeg yuav vam ib leeg, ib leeg yuav txhawb ib leeg. Txoj kev sib pab, sib hlub, sib tshuas, thiab sib txhawb yog peb hmoob txoj kev uas neej nyob. Qhov no hais tau hais tias yuav tsum muaj tus txhawb thiab cuab zog thiaj lis muaj tus mus kawm ntawv tau nyob rau qib siab. Ib yam lis lub nkoj thiab lub pas dej. Yog tsis muaj lub pas dej ces lub nkoj yuav tsis ntab. Peb uas neej nyob yuav tsum sib pab. Tiag sis peb uas tib neeg nyob peb kuj muaj tus siab dav thiab tus siab nqaim. Ib feem cuam ntawm peb cov neeg muaj kev kawm dav, muaj txuj chi siab, muaj kev txawj ntse txaus, thiab muaj txab peev xwm, lawv tsis xam pom thiab paub txog peb lub neej hmoob yav dhaus los zoo licas. Vim yog lawv xav tias lawv tus keej muab txab peem xwm rau lawv es lawv thiaj lis ntsib tau lawv txoj kev vam meej xwb. Tsis yog muaj leej twg pab thiab txhawb lawv. Yog lis ntawm lawv tsis tau xav txog hais tias vim yog muaj hais neeg hmoob, tej kwv tij neej tsa, lub koom txoos hmoob, niam thiab txiv, thiab kev hlub los ntawm tsev neeg muab lub feej chim rau lawv es lawv thiaj lis muaj txoj kev kawm nces qib mus txog rau qib siab mus nrog luag lwm haiv neeg sib tws huas txoj kev txawj ntse. Tawm sis qhov txheeb tiag yog vim muaj txoj kev pab thiab txhawb los ntawm txhuas leej thiab coob tus es lawv txoj kev kawm thiaj lis huam vam. Cov Winter 2002
no yog cov neeg xav rau txoj kev siab nqaim. Muaj qhos tus neeg ntawm cov neeg muaj fwj chim thiab muaj kev txawj ntse tseem coj txoj kev siab nqaim. Lawv kuj muab tej txiaj ncig ua yog kev pab thiab kev hlub los ntawm hais neeg hmoob tso pov tseg. Vim rau qhov hais tias thaum lawv tau zoo thiab muaj kev txawj ntse lawm lawv tsis xam pom txog hmoob txoj kev txom nyem es lawv thiaj lis saib lawv lub sij hawm thiab caij nyoog zoo lis nyiaj thiab kuj lawm xwb, yog lis ntawm cov neeg txom nyem thiaj lis tsis muaj nyiaj yuav yuav tau lawv txoj kev txawj ntse thiab tswv yim coj los siv. Qhov no piv tau hais tias lawv xav tau txoj kev pab txhawb los ntawm pej xeem, tabsis tom qab tau zoo lawm lawv tsis pom pej xeem tej kev pab txhawb. Tsis tag lis no xwb, cov neeg zoo lis no tseem xav siv pej xeem ua daim tawv tiv thaiv lawv tus kheej kom luag lwm hais neeg xav hais tias nws yeej muaj lub zeem muag zoo coj los pab pej xeem tom qab nrhiav taug kawm tau txoj kev txawj ntse. Tiam sis qhov txheeb tiag, twb yog nws muab pej xeem muag noj muag haus xwb. Thiab tseem khwv los uas liaj uas teb xaum pej xeem lub xwb qwb noj thiab tseem xav caij txhuj pej xeem kom pej xeem tsuas muaj kev txom nyem ntxiv mus xwb. Tej laus thiaj lis piv txoj lus hais tias “peb txawj xwb peb tseem tsis tau ntse.� Ntxiv ntawm, ib feem cuam ntawm peb cov neeg vam meej thiab muaj fwj chim siab kuj txawj xav xam pom lub neej hmoob tom qab thaum lawv muaj txoj kev txawj ntse txaus lawm. Lawv tig rov qab los txhawb peb hmoob txoj kev txom nyem kom hloov mus ua txoj kev vam meej. Cov tib neeg no lawv siv lawv lub sij hawm thiab caij nyoog los muab txoj kev quab qhia ntuav tswv yim rau peb cov hmoob kom sawv daws mus nrhiav thiab ntsib txoj kev vam meej. Tsis tag lis no xwb, cov neeg vam meej no tseem qhia thiab qiv lawv cov tswv yim rau peb hmoob sawv daws, thiab lawv siv lawv tus kheej los uas ib tug qauv zoo rau peb hais neeg hmoob tau kawm. Qhov no hais tau hais tias lawv tseem nco tej txiaj ncig tau los ntawm txhuas leej txhuas tus ua tau pab thiab txhawb lawv txoj kev kawm. Cov no yog cov neeg muaj lub siab dav thiab txawj xav. Hmong Movement
Yog yuav kom peb muaj txoj kev vam meej thiab nyab xeeb, peb yuav tsum hlub peb cov pej xeem hmoob thiab lub koom txoos ua peb tau muab coj los uas daiv tawv tiv thaiv peb kom peb muaj txab peem xwm sib tws huam txoj kev vam meej thiab txawj ntse nrog luag lwm haiv neeg. Thaum peb txawj ntse lawm, peb yuav tsum hlub thiab txhawb peb hmoob kom vam meej thiab ciaj vaj. Tsis yog hais tias thaum peb tau zoo thiab txawj ntse lawm ces peb tseem yuav tsis txhawj txog peb hais neeg hmoob tej kev xav tau thiab peb saib hmoob tsis rau nqi. Thaum peb tsis txawj ntse peb zoo nkaus lis lub nkoj ua tsis muaj dej nyob hauv qab txhawb kom ntab. Tabsis thaum peb zoo lawm peb tsis pom leej twg nyob tuaj tom qub qab. Peb sawv daws yuav tsum hloov peb cov xeeb ceem tig rov qab los txhawb thiab pab hais neeg hmoob kom hmoob txhuas tus muaj kev vam huam. Tsis tag lis no xwb, tom qab peb txawj ntse, peb yuav tsum nqees ib qhos sij hawm los qhia thiab txim kho peb hmoob lub neej, hmoob lub koom txoos, thiab txhawb cov tub ntxhais kawm ntawv hmoob kom vam meej txaj qhov qub tam sis no. Thaum peb haiv neeg paub thiab txawj ntse lis luag lwm haiv neeg lawm, peb xav tau kev pab thiab kev txhawb dab tsi los yeej yuav tsum tau. Peb haiv neeg yuav tsum pab peb cov neeg txawj ntse kom peb tau txais txoj kev vaj huam sawv sib txig thiab sib luag. Hos yog peb muaj kev txawj ntse tabsis peb tseem xav uas tsov tom peb hmoob xwb ces, peb yeej tsis muaj txoj kev vam meej thiab nyab xeeb lis luag lwm hais tib neeg. Nco tsoov hais tias peb sawv daws yeej hloov thiab nplis tau mus uas luag lwm hais neeg tej pej xeem vim peb paub luag yam lus thiab muaj kev txawj ntse. Tab sis tsuas yog peb hloov thiab nplis tau raw lis peb txoj kev xav nyob hauv txoj kev kawm xwb. Peb yuav hloov nplis tsis tau peb cov roj cov tsav vim tias peb yog neeg hmoob. Peb yuav tsum nco tsoov hais tias peb yog neeg caj ces dab tsi thiab tuaj qhov twg tu aj. Luag lwm hais neeg yuav saib peb sawv daws rau nqi thiab muaj nuj nqi yog tias peb saib peb tus kheej thiab hais neeg hmoob muaj nuj nqi. Tsim nyog peb sawv daws yuav tsum nco tsoov txog tej lus cog cias hauv ntaub ntawv tias thaum peb muaj kev txawj ntse lawm peb yuav 5
rov qab los pab peb hais neeg hmoob kom muaj kev vam meej. Peb tsis txhob muab hais neeg hmoob lub npe muag kom luag lwm haiv neeg tseeg peb xwb. Peb yog cov txawj ntse peb yuav tsum hlub hmoob luag lwm hais neeg thiaj lis yuav hlub hmoob. Yob peb leej twg muaj txoj kev xav zoo lis hais los saum no. Txawm tias peb tus kheej muaj kev txawj ntse vam meej npaum licas los peb yeej yuav caum tseem tsis tau luag lwm hais tib neeg vim yog luag lwm hais neeg hlub thiab qhia pej xeem txog txoj kev vam meej, tabsis peb tsis hlub thiab qhia peb cov pej xeem hmoob txog txoj kev vam meej. Peb xav kom peb tus kheej ib leeg yog tus txawj thiab ntse txaj xwb. Qhov no yog qhov peb sib txiav txoj kev vam meej ntawm peb hais neeg hmoob kom peb caum tsis tau luag lwm hais neeg. Thaum twg yog peb tsis muaj txoj sias nyob lawm ces peb mam lis khuv xim txog peb tej txuj chi. Thaum ntawm ces twb lig dhau heev lawm. Txawm peb muab nyiaj kub coj los uas ib lub nkoj los lub nkoj nyiaj nkoj kub ntawm yeej yuav ntab mus tsis tau ntev thiab mus tsis tau deb vim yog tsis muaj leej twg yuav los pab txhawb lub zog ces peb yuav zoo ib yam lis lub pas dej tsuas muaj qhuab zuj zus mus lawm xwb. Vim yog lis no peb hmoob ib txwm piv txoj lus hais uas paj lug hais tais, “ kaum txhais tes tsis npaum ob txhais npab kev vam meej nyob ntawm txoj kev sib pab.” Peb yog cov muaj kev txawj ntse zoo nkaus lis lub nkoj nyuam quav yuav pib ntab mas peb yuav tsum yuav pej xeem txhuas leej txhuas tus pab. Uas Tsaug. Peb sib ntsib dua nyob rau lwm daim xov xwm “Tus Tse Yuav Tsum Mus Nrhiav Tus Dej, Tsis muaj Tus dej Mus Nrhiav Tus Tse” Biography_________________________ Christopher Thao Vang is assistant professor of Teacher Education at California State University, Stanislaus. He earned his Bachelors of Arts in Public Administration from California State University, Fresno. Dr. Vang also earned his Masters of Arts from the National University, Fresno and Ed. D in Educational Leadership from the Joint Doctorate program of California State University, Fresno and University of California, Davis. In addition, he is one of three faculty advisors for the Hmong Students Association at CSU Stanislaus. 6
Redressing a Problem: College Students in Need Yang Lee and Mao Yang
Promoting higher education has been one of the most important tasks for Hmong student organizations in California’s colleges and universities. We strive endlessly every year to get more Hmong youths and Hmong parents to understand that higher education is a necessary tool needed to secure their future in the United States. Over the years Hmong student organizations from universities such as CSU Fresno, CSU Sacramento, and UC Davis have host educational conferences to encourage more Hmong youths to pursue higher education. Our hard work and effort are rewarded as more and more Hmong youths enter California’s higher educational institutions. We, Hmong student organizations, put so much effort trying to get Hmong students into colleges or universities that we do not realize we are neglecting another group-college students who are faced with many difficulties that pushes them to drop out of college. The most obvious difficulty students face is financial; a lot of money and resources are needed to complete one’s education. Although many of us received state and federal financial assistance, these funds are not enough. This is especially true for those who leave home for college. With bills to pay, students work endless hours to make ends meet, and as a result less time is dedicated to their studies. Another big problem that many Hmong students face is family, especially for those who are the first in the family to attend college. Even though Hmong parents strongly encourage their kids to attend college, they lack the understanding or knowledge regarding higher education. Consequently, many students do not receive support from their family. For example, Hmong parents do not know the importance of midterms and finals. During these critical examination periods, a student’s time should be given in to studying. Instead Hmong parents would order their children to take on certain task that takes away from their studying time. Lesser time preparing for midterms and final could produce unsatisfactory grade and/or failure. Aside from family and financial problems, time management also plays a big role in a student’s failure. Many Hmong Movement
students do not know how to budget their time wisely. Much of their time is spent partying and socializing that they forget about their educational responsibilities. As a result less time is devoted to their studies and procrastination produces unacceptable work. The difficulties students face could result in academic depletion, forcing them to drop out. Over the years, I have seen friends dropped out of CSU, Sacramento to attend community colleges or dropped out simply to work full-time due to these difficulties. I am not trying to say that community colleges are not adequate academic institutions. I started my college career at a community college, too. But from what I have seen, some of those students who leave CSU Sacramento to attend community colleges remain there for a long time, and then unfortunately they dropped out. Just because students leave a fouryear institution and continue their education at a community college does not mean that the problem will disappear. The difficulties students face may continue to exist if nothing is done to correct it. Therefore, the hard work Hmong student organizations have done to encourage youths to pursue higher education, in our opinion, seems futile. We are encouraging all these students to come in, but we do not help them stay in and graduate. In our continue effort to promote higher education, we should also put more effort to assist college students who are failing and in need of help. We should not be ignoring this problem. Instead of focusing on encouraging higher education to Hmong youths, we also need to focus on retaining academic achievement for those already in college. As future leaders, it is crucial for us to find solutions to improve this problem. No one should be left behind as we walk down the stage to receive our degrees. Biographies ______________________ Yang Lee is a senior majoring in Ethnic Studies at CSU Sacramento. Lee will serve as Hmong University Student Association (HUSA) president this fall. Mao Yang is a senior majoring in English at CSU Sacramento. Yang will serve as vice president of HUSA. Spring/Summer 2002
Perspectives Changing Through Time: Being Gay in Our Community Hmong used to live freely on the mountains of China. They were farmers who cultivated the highlands with a variety of vegetables, and raised cows, pigs, and chickens. They were hard workers. The Hmong relied on slash-and-burn agriculture, which called for chopping down large trees and burning them to make the land more productive. They were content living on the mountaintops and abiding by their own rules; living the life they wanted. They called themselves the Hmong and lived on the mountains, to avoid confrontations with the people of the lower land. It was believed that the Chinese feared the Hmong’s independency, and in time, a war broke out between the Hmong and the Chinese. Unfortunately, the Hmong lost the war. They had two choices; to either continue living on the mountaintops in China and be ruled by the Chinese, or move out of China and live freely on the mountains in other countries. Some chose to live without control, they decided to move down south and into Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The majority settled on the mountaintops of Laos and began a new life. They were happy until another war broke out. The secret war in Laos broke out at the same time as the Vietnam War, which was between the communist (Pathet Lao/ North Vietnamese) and the United States. The United States CIA began to recruit Hmong men and boys to help them fight off the communists who were aggressively moving towards the mountaintops. The Hmong were recruited because of their knowledge of the land and their current
situation with the Laotian people. Sadly, the United States withdrew from the war and left the Hmong hopeless. As promised by the CIA, for the Hmong’s help, immigration was possible. This was the first time Hmong heard about America, the land of freedom and opportunity. After the Vietnam War, many Hmong migrated to refugee camps in Thailand. It was in Thailand that my parent gave birth to me and named me Leng, after my great grandfather. Many of our relatives were sent to France, Argentina, and many other countries. My family was lucky because we had the chance to come to America. I was five when we reached California. It was not on a mountain that we begin our new life, but rather in the Central Valley. Now that there were no more mountains to isolate the Hmong, from society, they must adapt to the new world. In order for the Hmong to adapt to the American ways, they had to learn the English language, so that they could communicate with mainstream society. Some Hmong were converted to Christianity, Buddhists, and or other religions affiliation; than the original religion from the past, which was animism, which includes ancestral worship and shamanism. Since they had no mountains to farm, they had to find a way to support their family, and getting a job was the answer. It was hard for them because they had no education or vocational skills. To the Hmong, getting an education was everything they ever hoped for. In coming to terms with the value of education, and the on going changes of adapting to America, they were also forced to acknowledge interracial marriage. This was a topic rarely heard previously in the Hmong community. The Hmong were not happy with these sudden changes, but they must adapt to it, if they want to be part of the society. Now, it is my turn to shape the Hmong culture. I must make homosexuality be known to the Hmong community because I am gay. Like interracial marriage, homosexuality is new and rarely
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Hmong Movement
by Leng
mentioned in the Hmong community. Because many Hmong still hold onto traditional values, I believe that homosexuality will never be accepted in the Hmong community. Acceptance is not what I am looking for, but rather acknowledgement. By exposing the Hmong culture to homosexuality now, future gay Hmong children who are coming out will be acknowledged, and will not feel that they have disgraced their family or community. I knew that I was gay when I was eight years old. I fell in love with my best friend, and had a secret love relationship with him. He was also Hmong. Even though I knew nothing of homosexuality, I kept the relationship hidden from my parents and relatives. I knew deep down inside that the relationship was something I needed to hide. The relationship ended when my best friend moved away. I grew up acting feminine, and did everything a girl would do. I knew how to jump rope, house play, embroider, cook, clean, and take care of my siblings. I was teased by friends, and kids that I hardly knew, for being too feminine. While growing up, I heard my brother and friends talk about falling in love with girls. I was shocked. To me, dating a girl was the nastiest thing a boy could do. I later learned that I was the only one, who liked boys. I kept on thinking why I was like this, liking my own gender. I felt trapped and confused, so I decided to hide my feelings from others. Growing up, I had many crushes towards the boys in my classes, but I did nothing. I could not stop the crushes from occurring and I could not let it be known because I feared that people might make fun of me, and so the feelings piled up inside. I lived a false life, up until my senior year in high school. My oldest brother came home from college for the weekend and found my links to gay chat rooms on the World Wide Web. He confronted me, but I told him that I was not gay. I had to lie because if my parents knew that I was 7
gay, than they would kick me out of the house, and I had nowhere to go. I was afraid that my brother might beat me up or tell me parents. I cried because I thought that my life had come to an end. Minutes later, he told me that it was all right for me to be gay because he knew that I could not change myself. He told me that he took a class on human sexuality and had learned about homosexuality. I was happy that he was supportive. By knowing that nothing bad happened to me when my brother found out I was gay, I had hopes that coming out would not be so hard. Halfway through my senior year, I finally decided to tell my mom. My mom asked me if it was a joke, and I told her “no.” Later, she told me that my homosexuality would change how the Hmong community would view my family and me. My family could lose respect and honor from other Hmong people. She did not understand why I was gay. Shortly afterwards, my father found out, but he did not say anything. My cousins told me to change my sexual preference and date girls instead of guys when they found out that I was gay. My father, mother, cousins, and friends could not understand that I could not change my feelings for other men. After telling my parents, and relatives that I was gay, I had an urge to educate the Hmong community on homosexuality. Had the Hmong known about homosexuality, I would not have gone through such a hard time? My parents would have been more understanding, and would have provided me with information regarding to homosexuality. But homosexuality was unknown to the Hmong community. By informing the Hmong, I would be helping future gay Hmong children. Because I was raised to appreciate my heritage and respect my family and relatives, a part of me does not want to expose the Hmong community to homosexuality. I have seen the Hmong culture change so much, that it hurts me to see my culture fading away. I felt that if I expose them to homosexuality, I will cause more changes, and that is not want I want to do. Respect of the elders, 8
believing in ancestral spirits, and other traditional ways are diminishing. What little is left that makes our culture different from other cultures should be kept. If I expose the Hmong community to homosexuality, the Hmong culture will diminish even more, but if I do not, other gay Hmong and I will never be acknowledged or gain their respect. With these outcomes, I do not know what to do because I value the Hmong community, but also, want to gain their respect for my individuality and homosexuality. It is hard to be me. I am not just a Hmong boy, but a gay Hmong boy.
This is My Life by Youa Vang My name is Youa Vang and I am of Hmong heritage. My mother gave birth to me on the banks of the Mekong River as my family was escaping from the Pathet Lao (Communist Laotian Army). My father was a medic for the CIA sponsored secret Hmong forces in Laos. They fought the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese with the United States during the Vietnam War. The struggles and sacrifices my parents endured constantly remind me of the opportunities I have available in this country. I am the second to the youngest child in my family. After escaping from Laos, we lived in the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand for twelve years. In 1992, the refugee camp was to be closed down. We had three choices. Move to another refugee camp, go back to Laos, or come to America. My parents decided to come to America since my oldest brother and two older sisters were already in the United States. We arrived in Stockton, California on June 23, 1993. I will always remember that day. It was a day I was to start my life all over again at the age of thirteen. I first entered school was as an eighth grader at Hamilton Middle School. It was a difficult time because I did not know any English, and I was entering an entirely different culture. While I was attending Franklin High School in 1994, I realized Hmong Movement
that the only way for me to learn a new culture was to be like the other students. To do so, I participated in many clubs and sports such as the Key Club, Hmong Club, Academic Decathlon Club, Art Club, Asian Club, Badminton Team, and the Tennis Team. I was a member of the Badminton Team for all four years of high school. I started to play badminton at the lowest level and became the number one Singles Championship for the Sacramento, San Joaquin Athletic Association during my senior year. In recognition of my scholastic and extracurricular achievements, the Kiwanis Club of Stockton selected me from all the Stockton highs schools as their “Teenager of the Month” for August of 1998. I was very honored to be selected due to the other candidates’s strong backgrounds. I finally felt that I was beginning to “fit in” with other American students. I also was a gold seal recipient for earning the Academic Achievement Award for all four years at Franklin High School. These academic and extracurricular activities taught me to be competitive and strive for the best in all that I do in life. Currently, I am a senior at California State University of Stanislaus. My major is Liberal Studies with a concentration in Bilingual Cross-Cultural Academic Development with a focus on Southeast Asia. I came to CSU Stanislaus with the goal to teach elementary school, but I have made a transition to pursue a career in counseling. After earning my Bachelor of Arts Degree, I plan to pursue a Mater’s Degree in Education with a concentration in school counseling. My long-term goal is to become an Academic Advisor and teach at the university level. While studying towards my goal, I worked two part-time jobs on campus to help support my education. I work for the Student Outreach Department as an University Ambassador. As an University Ambassador, I had the opportunity to go out to many school sites, both junior and high schools, to perform classroom presentations on higher education. In addition, I conducted panel presentations where I share my college experiences with other students so they can get a sense of what to expect in college. I also give Spring/Summer 2002
campus tours to junior and high school students as well as parents. My other part time job was working with the Student Support Services Program as a Peer Advisor. As a Peer Advisor, I advise students in choosing their classes, inform students of all the support services available to them in the program, and conduct workshops to assist students in various areas. I like to share my knowledge with other students because I did not have a mentor while I struggled through the system. I know through my experience and the experiences of others that there are many students out there who need someone to help them adjust to college life, and provide them with the support they need in order to succeed in college. While working as a Peer Advisor, I was inspired to become a University Academic Advisor. The reason why I wanted to become a teacher in the first place was because I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life. I realize I can do this in a significant way as a University Academic Advisor. Besides working two jobs on campus, I am also involved in the Hmong Students Association (HSA) for the past four years at CSU Stanislaus. Last year, I was the Historian for the organization. Currently, I am the Activities Director. As an officer, I have actively participated and co-chaired many of the major events hosted by the HSA. These events include the CSUS Annual Asian Heritage Day, the Hmong Research Speech Competition, HSA Sports Tournament, and the HSA Commencement Banquets. In addition, I volunteered as a Hmong Dance Instructor as well as a tutor at the Healthy House, a multi-cultural community center in Merced. I also volunteered as a facilitator for the Sixth Hmong National Conference, which was held in March at the Radisson Hotel in Sacramento. In the 2001-2002 academic year, I was awarded with one of the two HSA Scholarships to attend the Seventh Hmong National Conference held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin representing the CSU Stanislaus HSA. My participation in all these activities started with the thought of wanting to fit into a new culture. As a result, these experiences have benefited me greatly. I
have gained communication skills, social skills and leadership skills. These experiences have given me a belief in my future and myself. I feel I have experienced some success and I know that I have the potential to become even more successful. I hope to become a positive role model for others who have struggled to find a place in our expanding America society.
Winter 2002
Hmong Movement
Japanese Taiko by Nkauj Iab Yang One year ago, the Grant Taiko Dan was formed in the band room of Grant Union High School, located in Sacramento, California. The group met three days a week after school. The Grant Taiko Dan consisted of approximately 25 students who were led by Sensei Megan ChaoSmith and Sensei Tiffany Tamarabuchi, who are also the senseis at the Sacramento Taiko Dan. During the first few meetings with the Grant Taiko Dan, the students learned about the proper policies and manners that each student should be aware of in a Japanese Dojo. Afterwards, these excited students were taught how to keep their Dojo (the school’s band room) clean, by sweeping the ground and running small, wet cloths across the dusty floor several times until the floor became squeaky clean. Soon, the students began learning some history about Taiko. The word “Taiko” means big drum. However, Taiko is a classical art in the Japanese culture, which has been around for over two thousand years. This art consist of drum beating music that is comparable to the roll of thunder and the sound of the roaring ocean waves. In the early years during 1500s in Japan, Japanese used the instruments in battlefields; used to scare their enemies, send commands, and coordinate movements. Today, in North America, Taiko is performed at various festivals. Many different Taiko songs express different significances, from a particular feeling (i.e. motivation, empowerment) to telling a story. The Grant Taiko Dan was far from telling their story through Taiko.
However, they did manage to finally tell a story through their first song, “Fusion,” as the original group. Today, there are five students left in the Grant Taiko Dan. They have stopped practicing in the band room of Grant Union High School. Now, these students practice this particular Japanese art at the Sacramento Taiko Dan Dojo. Nkauj Iab Yang, Misee Lee, Dee Vue, Johnny Huynh, and Dennis Saicocie are the five students who remain. They have been sponsored to tour Japan with the Sacramento Taiko Dan from March 23 to April 7. This group will be performing their original song, “Fusion” in Nagayo, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Matsuyama, and also dancing in a festival song. Not only will Nkauj Iab, Misee, and Dee be performing Taiko on stage in Japan, they will also be showing the beautiful, Hmong clothing during the Hmong dance. These three females have been asked to demonstrate a form of Hmong art. They have chosen to illustrate the celebration of Hmong New Year through the dance; literally tossing balls. They will dance to Maiv Muas Kwv’s “Nog Peb Quov” song, which is a song that explains how Hmong celebrate their New Years. In March of 2002, I will be heading to Japan to expand my knowledge about Taiko, absorb all I can from this experience, see Japanese society, and share a piece of Hmong culture with Japan.
Living it for ME! by Linda Yang During the first semester of the last school year, I was very involved with school. In fact, I was so busy that I would leave the house before or when the sun rose, and usually left school when the sun set. It was a daily routine, and I was too busy to think about anything else. I would wake up at 6:30, get ready for school, catch the bus at 6:45, attend all four classes, attend all my after school activities, and then come home. I thought my mother would be proud of me 9
because I was involved with school. I was in many activities, including VOICE, Admission Possible, and Art Crew. I also took after school classes such as World Religions AP, and Writing for College. I took these classes and joined these activities because I wanted to be in them. At that point in time, I thought my mother was so proud of me. I was keeping myself so busy that I never came home in time to help make dinner. I washed the dishes, if they left them in the sink, and helped baby-sit while my nyabs finished whatever it was they were doing. I would stay up until three in the morning, finishing up my homework. I was finally beginning to grow tired, due to lack of sleep. Eventually, my mother accused me of staying after school to smoke weed. She said that there was no other explanation as to why I was so sleepy in the evening. She refused to even believe that I was taking extra classes and participating in after school activities. I was depressed for the longest time because of what she said, and I still am. I became so depressed that I finally did what she said, putting family and chores before myself. I lowered my school activities and started coming home after school. I started to drop my after school classes. Instead of all my busy work, I came home and tried to help out with the house. Even then, she wasn’t happy with me. I couldn’t satisfy her. After that accusation, I grew lazy. I felt that there was no reason for me to do my schoolwork anymore. My parents never appreciated the many certificates I received at school, never awarded my A Honor Rolls like how they did with my siblings, and never appreciated any of my grades or test scores. This depression lasted for over a month, and screwed up my transcript for the first half of second semester. It wasn’t until Spring Break that I realized that I was my own person. I realized that any grades I received in class weren’t for my parents, but for me. I prayed to God, telling God that life was horrible and miserable. I asked God why my parents were like so. I told God I didn’t understand why my father yelled at me whenever I received “average” scores on my tests. I told God that I wasn’t going to take the coward’s way out by committing suicide either. I told God that I was going to challenge life and my parents. From then on, I promised myself that any grades, scores, or anything else I 10
received was for me, and not for my parents. Thanks to that slight self-motivation, I have been able to continue school and bring up my GPA again. Although, I must admit that things haven’t improved much. My grades aren’t as good as they should be. I believe my motivation has changed that and I believe my grades aren’t as good because of my standards. My parents’ standards were to get the highest grades possible, and I did that. When I stopped living up to their standards, my grades weren’t the highest they could be, but were still high. I wondered why, but figured out that my standards are lower than my parents are. It didn’t bother me that I didn’t expect myself to be as successful, but I was happy. What mattered to me was my happiness, my enjoyment of life, and living it for me. My parents haven’t changed, but I sure have. I set my standards to where I know I can reach. I like to build my shelves where I can reach them, not too high (unlike how some people tend to). I like my life more now, because I live it for me. It just means that I’ll have to battle my parents until I’m free. That means college location, college money, and moving out of the house. I’ll survive.
The Hmong in Me by Nancy Cha
Lights, camera, action! Those were the words that were repeated over and over as we acted out scenes from our skit “Lub Neej Tshiab” for the University of California Riverside Hmong Student Association’s (HSA) second Culture Show this past April. The event was cosponsored with University of California Irvine HSA. It was a huge hit! There were a great turnout of family members, friends and of course the community at large. Hmong Movement
Since this is my first year at UC Riverside, I tried to put in as much effort into the Culture Show as I have gotten out from it. I’ve never acted before, except for my debut performance in 8th grade as one of the seven wives in “The King and I,” but I didn’t have any lines. I wanted my performance in the skit “Lub Neej Tshiab,” not to only enlighten the audience, but also add in some humor. When we were writing the skit, we tried to contribute by tying in our own personal experiences growing up within our families. The irony was once we started discussing some issues, we found out that whatever each one of us shared; another person had a similar experience. These similar experiences were mostly the way we acted and reacted to some of the things our parents did to us. We came to conclusion that it would be an accurate portrayal of a “typical” Hmong family. We started the skit with the parents involved in a car accident and are hospitalized. Their three children (now older) are flashing back to their childhood, reminiscing about how their life was with their parents and their rebellious ways. Now, since their parents are in critical condition they have to picture their life without their parents and how their memories of their childhood could have been different. We had three children portraying the three typical kinds of kids in a Hmong family. The eldest child is a girl, always obedient, submissive, ambitious, and the father wishing she was a son. Then we have the middle child, a son, who thinks whatever his father wants him to do are always too “traditional” or as Hmong youths would say, “MTT” stuff such as playing the bamboo instrument, “qeej.” Last, but not least a character I played as the youngest child, a daughter and also the most rebellious, engaging in alcohol, depicting a gangster, and always talking back to my parents. Our main focus of the skit was to express the relationship between Hmong parents and their children and the issues Hmong families had to endure assimilating to American culture. We wanted to stress the importance of preserving the Hmong culture and the significant roles our parents played in our lives that we often take for granted. Not only did we want to depict how Hmong children grew up in, mainstream society, but to also express the influences we grew up with and eventually Spring/Summer 2002
out from these experiences. As children we wanted to be “cool” and adapt to American culture, and yes, some of us took the wrong route and engaged in gangs, but as we grew older we realized the importance of preserving our culture and the mesmerizing words of our parents. The aftermath of the culture show was a success! I had relatives come over complimenting me on our overall performance. My younger cousins really enjoyed the culture show and they told me it was the worth the “three-dollar” fee. Just simple comments like that made me feel that all our efforts and hard work really paid off. It proves that even though you feel, as if it’s just a “culture show” there are people observing you and are listening to your message. It can sometimes even make an impact on their lives as it has on mine. I’m really glad I’d joined HSA here at UC Riverside, not only did it open my eyes, but also allowed me to give back to the Hmong community. I really like our objectives, especially focusing our attention to Hmong youth and promoting higher education. This has been a memorable year with HSA! Coming to college was a big stepping-stone in my life. It is that “Lub Neej Tshiab” which I will embark. I know no matter where I go or what I do, there will always be “that Hmong in me.”
What is the Hmong World Like? A Culture Show Experience by Amy Yan “I am Hmong,” replied Catherine Yang, my former hall mate and the vice president of the Hmong Student Association of the UC Riverside this year. I responded with “huh?” This was the first time I heard about this group of people. Nevertheless, the word, “Hmong” was foreign to me. After taking a religious course on rituals and myths at UCR, I became a little more familiar with the traditional religious aspect of Hmong culture but I have yet to learn more. Last spring, I attended the first Winter 2002
annual Hmong Culture Show and was exposed to the fashion, language, and history of the Hmong. I enjoyed the show very much and I learned about a culture that I never knew existed. When this year’s culture show came around, I jumped at the chance to see the show for a second time; not only for my own interest, but to see what new information the show will provide. Indeed, I was pleased with the turnout of the second show. The show featured a play to illustrate the struggle between the immigrated parents and their Americanized children. Arriving in America with the hopes to make a better living for their children, the parents soon found difficulties communicating with their children. They desire their children to not forget their traditions and culture, and at the same time get an education. This is a common story of many immigrants. I liked the play because I was able to relate with the Americanized children. I ask myself: do I listen to my parents’ advice or do as I please? Am I willing to preserve my own culture or trade it with an American style one? These are some questions that I struggle with every day. I enjoyed the use of Hmong dialogue. It produced a great effect in showing what the characters are going through. Many times people are not sure who the Hmong people are but as they watch the play, they can discover a little part of the lifestyle of the Hmong in America. Bo Thao, the guest speaker also added great depth to the show. Thao is the executive director of Hmong National Development (HND) based in Washington DC. HND is a national non-profit organizing advocating on issues concerning the Hmong American community. She spoke about the generation gap, the importance of history, breaking down barriers and education about laws and policies affecting the Hmong community. More importantly her message to Hmong youths is that America guarantees opportunities but not outcomes. She encourages youth to get involved because they are the voice representing the Hmong community. In addition, the culture show also featured David Yang, alumni from UC Santa Barbara. With great passion, he read his poetry that exhibited his understanding to preserve his culture and fight for his rights. The poem presented a proud sense Hmong Movement
of belief in faith. Yang’s performance was spirit-raising and breathtaking. Lastly, the show incorporated both modern and traditional Hmong performances. There was modern hip-hop to add funk to the show and the traditional dance routines to contrast the hip-hop dance. Additionally, there was a traditional qeej performance and two performances of kwv txhiaj. This was intriguing that young children are preserving traditional aspects of the Hmong culture. What I realize is that we all need to preserve where we came from. As we remember that, then we can have both worlds and not worry that one will be inferior to the other. In the end, I recommend checking out the show next spring. Biographies______________________ Nkauj Iab Yang is a graduate of Grant Union High .School. This past year she was the president of the Grant Union High School Hmong Club and French Club. She plays a leading part in the Grant Renaissance. She enjoys performing on stage. She dances with Asian Image, a hip-hop dance team and Hmoob PuavPheej who does traditional Hmong dances. Her plan for the near future is to attend UC Berkeley in the fall of 2002 and major in the Public Service field where she finds her passion. Linda Yang was born in Wisconsin but raise in Minnesota. She will be a senior at Arlington High School in St Paul, MN this fall. She serves as Media Executive for Voicing Our Intelligence to Chance Education (VOICE) and vice president for Arlington Students Reaching Out (ARSO) Nancy Cha is from Long Beach, CA. She is the 4th child of six children. Nancy graduated from Long Beach Poly High School in 2001. This fall she will be a sophomore at University of California, Riverside. She is looking Sue Yang lives in Sacramento, CA. Currently, she is attending the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech and Language Pathology. She is an active member of the Hmong Students Association located at UOP where she has served as President. She has also served as Vice President of HSA and a representative to the United Cultural Council. She has participated in many pageants and has received awards including the title of Miss Hmong of Sacramento 1998, first place of Miss Asia Pacific Islander 1999, first place in Miss Hmong of Stockton 2000 and the title of Miss Hmong International 2001 of the Hmong International New Year held in Fresno, California. Sherry Thao was born in Seattle. Currently, she is a senior attending CSU Sacramento majoring in Graphic Design. She is also the secretary of the Hmong University Student Association (HUSA). In her spare time, she enjoys drawing freehand or just doodling on scrap paper, she loves ballroom dancing, and she likes to read mystery novels, “I truly love animation with the exception of anime”. Most importantly, she loves music. Music inspires her to listen to what others are saying and interpret from their experiences, which has helped her to develop her own social skills around other people. She believes everyone has their own tune to move to when they’re sad or happy. 11
Youth Spotlight Paj Huam: Lus Zoo Siab Hauv Xyoo Tshiab By La Thai Yang Edited by Kai Moua and Vincent Tsu Vue Recited by Sue Yang Peb mus koom nrog lub xyoo tshiab, Kev ntxhov siab nrog xyoo laus mus. Tej lo lus ua tsis xav yuav, ntuas plum pluav rau lub hnub coog hli kawg. Kev sib tsawg hauv lub xyoo laus, Kuj muab sau mus tas huv si. Peb luag ntxhi rov los sib hlub, Yav thaum ub poj yawg coj los. Xyoo tshiab tawm tuaj, Kom peb muaj noj qab nyob zoo. Peb hmoob muaj txoj kev tau zoo, tsis tau nroo txoj kev dias hau. Kom txhob raug txoj kev mob phem. Kev ua qoob los kom tau noj, Mus nraum toj tsis ntsib mob nkeeg. Kom tsev neeg noj qab nyob zoo, Kav lwm xyoo 12 lub hlis. Kev sib ceg kom peb txhob muaj, Kev quaj ntsuag kom peb txhob pom, Kev ua nom kom peb rov tau. Hmoob sawv daws kom tau noj qab, tsis mob plab thiab tsis dias hau. Tsis hais yog xeem hmoob dabtsi, Peb luag ntxhi rov los haum xeeb. Kev thaj yeeb peb thiaj muaj taug, Kom txhob raug txoj kev ntxhov siab. Kom ib txhiab ib txhis muaj zoo, Hmoob tsis nroo ua neej siav ntev, Tas txhua tsev nyob thoob qab ntuj. Xyoo no mus peb los hau xeem, Yam lub teeb uas cig ntsa iab. Lub xyoo tshiab tsuas muaj kom zoo, Kom muaj hmoo mus lawm tom ntej. Huv li dej thiab ntsuab li zoov, taug kev ntsoov txoj kev vam meej. Hmoob lub neej thiaj tsis muaj kawg, Os peb ib tsoom hmoob. 12
Hmong Movement
Pa Moua by Nhia Vue
Hmong Student Association of San Diego offered their second mentorship program for high school students this year. This year, we have four outstanding mentees. All four are very talented, outstanding, and possess great enthusiasm to succeed. It is HmSASD’s honor to feature Pa Moua. She is a senior from Mission Bay High School in San Diego. She is not only an outstanding student maintaining an accumulative GPA of 4.06; she is also very active in many clubs at her school, involved in volunteer activities in the community, and working a part-time job. Pa really enjoys being given the opportunity to be our mentee and learn more about college experiences and life in general. Her thought of the mentorship program is that “it is cool and helpful. It’s engaging and fun.” When asked if she would recommend it, she said, “She would definitely recommend it because there’s a lot of help about college. There’s actually someone there to talk to if you face a problem.” Pa participates in clubs at her school from Monday through Thursday during lunch. She is a member of Student Service Club, Future Educator of America Club, Key Club, Poetry Club, and California Scholarship Federation Club. She also holds positions in some of these clubs. Another thing she participates in during school hours is in Link Crew. This program is for upper classmates in high school helping out incoming freshmen. They are role models and leaders to them and also guide and help them in school. Pa’s word of wisdom to success is to “Try your best” and her advice for her under classmates is that “they have to prepare to face a year of fun and anxiety, but they must also face hard work.” After school, Pa participates in sports, many volunteer activities in the community, and a part-time job. She has been in Mission Bay’s Badminton Team since the ninth grade, and has been in their tennis team since last semester. After school and during the weekend, she also holds a parttime job at Togo and Baskin Robins (which is under one franchise). She works about 18 hours a week. Aside from school, clubs, volunteer jobs, and work, Pa still holds home responsibilities. She is the oldest of six children. She helps out with chores such as doing the dishes, cooking, cleaning, and helping her siblings out with their homework. She enjoys helping her family out when she can especially because she knows she is the oldest child who has to set good examples and be a good role model for her younger siblings. Pa’s future goal is to attend a four-year university and become a teacher. At the moment, she would like to become an Elementary School teacher. She loves working with children and looks forward to the road she will be taking. Her last word is “Be successful because that’s life.” It is an honor for HmSASD to have such an outstanding mentee. With her positive thinking, success is around the corner.
Organization Spotlight Hmong Student Union at UC Davis by Vicky Vang The Hmong Student Union (HSU) was started in 1988 by 8-12 students who wanted to build an identity for the few Hmong students on the Davis Campus. With extensive outreach to our young Hmong brothers and sisters, UCD now has over 100 talented Hmong students. The club grew from 8 members to more than 50 members serving over 100 Hmong students on campus. The four goals of HSU are: 1) To promote higher education to the Hmong community. 2) To promote the Hmong culture to the campus and community. 3) To provide a friendly and supportive social network to its members. 4) To act as a resource to the campus and community. Among the many activities that we hold each year is our annual high school outreach conference: Empowerment Through Awareness. Invitation to the conference extends to high school students from as far south as Fresno to up in Chico to come and experience college. The day entails workshops that deal with issues in the Hmong community where high school students and parents can engage in dialogues. This motivates high school students to pursue higher education and to be proud that there are
Winter 2002
successful role models in the Hmong community. Another well known HSU event is the College Experience Days which is a three day event inviting Hmong high school seniors and juniors to receive first hand experience of what college is like. This event includes empowering workshops and attending college classes and concludes with a picnic. The high school students often leave with a better understanding of what college is like and more empowered to enter a higher education institution. HSU understood that it was necessary to promote higher education to the Southeast Asian community and not just to Hmong students. With this goal in mind, in 1998 HSU developed the Southeast Asians Furthering Education Program that is a part of the Student Recruitment and Retention Center. SAFE strives to empower Southeast Asian high school and middle school students to pursue higher education through the development of critical consciousness by utilizing the Holistic Empower Model. Some major projects developed under SAFE are mentoring programs for high school students and college freshmen, study halls, and social activities. HSU is not only about promoting education. We also take the time out to socialize and build a community here for the Hmong students to feel more at home. We have social gatherings and unofficial dinners. One of our famous late night hangouts is at Denny’s and now that Hoa Viet is in town, we don’t have to drive all the way to Sacramento for a good bowl of Pho. Our famous dance is the Masquerade Ball held in spring. This is a great time for people to come and dress up in extravagant costumes ranging from the Renaissance era to simply ourselves. This 18 years and over dance usually draws a more mature crowd and makes it easier to find a significant other. During the 2000-2001 academic year, we witnessed a flourish in political activism among HSU’s proud Hmong Movement
members on the UC Davis campus. HSU members participated in historical rallies such as the Teach In, the SP-1 rally in Los Angeles, and the rally to support the LEAD ticket. A few members attended the Asian Pacific Islander Leadership Conference where they shared their experiences, and a few members joined the committee for Asian Pacific Culture Week. A few members are also actively involved with the Council for Asian Pacific American Affairs to ensure representation of Asian Americans on the Davis campus. The hard work and devotion of HSU’s member have not gone unnoticed. HSU was recognized at the 2001 Student Leadership Awards at UC Davis. These prestigious awards include the Human Corps. Outstanding Organization for Community Service and Kaplan’s Honorable Mention for Outstanding Contribution to the Campus. The passionate and devoted Hmong students here at UCD work hard to promote higher education to the Hmong community and in promoting the Hmong culture to the Davis campus. Every year Davis citizens become more aware of the beauty of our Hmong culture. Together, we have succeeded in having our voice heard and together we will continue to teach our culture.
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Creative Corner Sherry’s Art Gallery
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Wedding:
Bon Jovi:
Angelina Jolie:
This portrait was one of my most recent pieces. It was made for my co-worker’s friend, who had married a couple of months before but was not given a wedding gift yet. It took me a month to finish it, but I had a great time making it.
When I first saw Bon Jovi’s picture, I thought, wow! What a great face! He has wonderful features. His eyes stands out, he has a perfect nose, and a nice subtle lip. also, those cheekbones are deliciously deep in that lighting.
I absolutely adore Angelina’s gothic style and while making this piece, I realized how hypnotizing her eyes can be. She has one of the most exotic eyes.
Sandra Bullock:
Nai3a:
Couple:
Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses. Not only a wonderful actress, she is funny, carefree, and has a great sense of fashion and flair about her. With her easy-going attitude, I wouldn’t mind having a friend like that!
This is one of my good friends from high school who is now a freshmen in a private college institution in San Francisco. I’ve never seen her in glamorous apparel or different hair style; I thought I’d try something new. The face is hers, but after flipping through several Victoria’s secret catalogs I settled on this type of hair and a dark gown for her. I sent her a copy earlier this year as a surprise and as a reminder of our friendship.
This one was drawn a long time ago back in the mid1990s. The original couple was from a magazine advertisement on a fragrant of some sort and I thought the pose was quite romantic. I still think it is...
Hmong Movement
Spring/Summer 2002
HM: Hmong Movement Submission Guidelines *Headlines: Current events, reports and news. *Perspectives: Personal creative writing, fictional and/or non-fictional compositions, poetry, artwork, and folklore literature. *Features: Forum for professionals, educators, graduates and undergraduate students to contribute articles relevant to their disciplines or area of expertise on imperative issues concerning the Hmong American community. *Organization Spotlights: Information regarding a HSIC organization and/or campus. May also include student organizations that reflect the preamble of HSIC. *Student and/or youth profile(s): To feature a collegiate student and/or youth(s) not limited to just students displaying exemplary leadership or outstanding academic excellence. To showcase unique characteristics. Submissions may be in English or Hmong must be double-spaced and saved as word document. Submissions should be limited to 5 pages. You may send submissions via email as an attachment to: hmong_scholar@hotmail.com. Your submission must include your Name, Address, Phone Number, Email, School, Organization, and/or Profession. This information is necessary in contacting you if your submission is chosen. If your submission is chosen you will be notified by email and/or phone. For further information please contact Alex Vang @209.380.5971 or hmong_scholar@hotmail.com
Include: Name: School: Email: Organization: Male/Female: Age: Year of college or Profession: Optional Photo: Personal Bio: (please limit to 250 words) HM: Hmong Movement c/o HSIC Hmong Students Association of San Diego Mailbox #G-10 University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, CA 92092-0077
Winter 2002
Readers’ Corner
The staff of HM look forward to receiving your comments and feedback. Please helps us continue to improve the publication. Letters should be sent directly to the HM mailing address or via email to hmong_scholar@hotmail.com “I am very impressed with HM: Hmong Movement. The articles are first rate and interesting.” Marjorie Sanchez WalkerHistory Department, CSU Stanislaus “I had an opportunity to read the HM: Hmong Movement publication. Congratulations on a first-rate publication. The articles and the poetry were all very poignant.” Richard LuevanoEthnic & Gender Studies, CSU Stanislaus “Thanks for sharing the publication. I am excited about the movement that our college students, professors, advisors, and educators have worked to promote our Hmong youth’s education and community involvement. I wish this idea was establish or brought up when I went to college in the early 90’s. I went to a small university with a handful of Hmong attending that school and at that time, technology has not grown to allow college students across the country to share ideas like this. When I read the stories of the publications, I can relate very much to the student’s life and experiences. When I was going to college at Sonoma State University from 1991-1995, we have a small group of Hmong students on campus and could not form a Hmong club. I however, join the Asian Pacific Islanders club and was an active member in the club and also held a lot of positions in the four years that I was there. At that time, I had already had the same idea that you guys had, but because of technology and not having enough Hmong student supporters, I could not do what you guys have accomplished today. Yet, I am very proud that somebody had done what I had first thought about ten years ago. I like your ideas, philosophies, and goals for our Hmong college students, the outreach programs to our high school students, Hmong advisors, and Hmong communities. Back in the old days of my college years, I made a lot of presentations and wrote a lot of stories of my struggle to find my own identity. If I can find it, maybe I can share my experiences on the next publication. Again, keep up the good work and if there is anything that I can help support the Hmong Movement, I will gladly open my mind and time to help in anyways possible.” Mathew K. Vang, MSW Alta California Regional Center, Sacramento Hmong Movement
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Subscription and Donations Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Organization: ________________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________ State: _________ Zip Code: ______________________ Phone: ________________ Fax: _________________ Email: __________________________ ___ Annual Subscription 4 issues - $10 (individual) ___ Organization Subscription 4 issues - $75.00 (10 copies per issue) Enclosed is a contribution to the: Hmong Student Inter-College Coalition (HM: Hmong Movement) *** HSIC is in the process of incorporation, donations will be tax-deductible. _____$25 _____ $50 _____ $100 _____ $150 _____ $250 Other: _______________________ Thank you for your support. Your generous contributions will continue our commitment to distribute the publication to the public free of charge. HM: Hmong Movement c/o Hmong Student Inter-Collegiate Coalition (HSIC) Hmong Students Association of San Diego Mailbox# G-10 University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, CA 92092-0077